Conserving Fuel on the Farm

IntroductionExpenditures on U.S. farms increased by an average of 26 percent in 2005, and fuel costs contributed heavily to that increase. Specifi cally, U.S. farmers spent $5.84 bil-lion on diesel fuel and $2.30 billion on gas-oline in 2005.

While there is little you can do to change the price you pay for fuel, you can take steps that will reduce fuel consumption and save money.

This publication provides useful tips to help you start saving fuel on your farm today. Many are free or low-cost measures that can provide immediate savings. Others have an associated cost, but offer a cost-effec-tive payback. This publication will focus on energy conservation in three areas:

fuel storage

vehicle operation and maintenance

fi eld practices

ATTRA offers several other publications that can help you conserve energy on your farm or ranch. See, for example, Energy Saving Tips for Irrigators, Maintaining Irri-gation Pumps, Motors, and Engines, and Effi cient Agricultural Buildings: An Over-view. Also see ATTRA’s Farm Energy Cal-culators page for information on calculators designed to help producers save electrical energy, fuel or fossil-fuel-based fertilizers.

Fuel StorageStorage tanks can lose a considerable amount of fuel due to evaporation and leaks. A 300-gallon storage tank, for example, can lose

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about 120 gallons each year from evapora-tion. You can reduce that loss to about 15 gallons per year by following these steps:

Keep fuel tanks well-shaded.

Paint tanks white or aluminum to refl ect the sun’s heat. Light colors reduce evaporation losses.

Use pressure-relief vacuum caps rather than conventional gas caps.

Lock unattended fuel tanks.

Regularly inspect your tanks for leaks. During those inspections, tighten connections between the stor-age tank outlet and the pump, check valve packings, and check for seep-age at the nozzle. Be especially vig-ilant about inspecting underground storage tanks, since leaks can cause groundwater contamination. Note: Underground storage tanks have the least evaporation, but undetected leaks can contaminate groundwater.

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In today’s climate of continually escalating fuel prices, farms must fi nd ways to conserve fuel in order to reduce costs. This publication identifi es a number of measures that will reduce fuel consumption on farms, and concludes with a list of resources for more information.

This publication draws heavily on the out-of-print book “Saving Energy on Montana Farms and Ranches,” published by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in January 1987. Material and diagrams from this publication are reprinted and adapted here with permission from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

Source: National Biodiesel Board

Introduction ..................... 1

Fuel Storage ..................... 1

Vehicles and Equipment ........................ 2

Field Practices .................. 3

References ........................ 7

Resources .......................... 7

A Publication of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 • www.attra.ncat.org

ATTRA—National Sustainable Agriculture Information Ser-vice is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technol-ogy (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Visit the NCAT Web site (www.ncat.org/agri.html) for more informa-tion on our sustainable agriculture projects.

Funding for the development of this publication was provided by the USDA Risk Management Agency.

By Cathy SvejkovskyNCAT Energy Specialist© 2007 NCAT

Conserving Fuel on the Farm

Contents

Page 2 ATTRA Conserving Fuel on the Farm

Vehicles and Equipment Before You Start an Engine Use the recommended grade of fuel. Buying a better grade of diesel than you need can be a waste of money. Most owner’s manu-als specify a No. 2-D fuel for warm weather operation and No. 1-D for extreme cold weather work.

In cold climates, install an electric block heater and timer on equipment. It is less expensive to warm engines with electric-ity for a controlled period of time than it is to use liquid fuel. Three hours is generally suffi cient to warm an engine. Many avail-able units attach to the block using mag-nets. If a tractor engine is kept heated all winter for use as a standby generator, you can decrease electrical consumption by installing an air-sensing thermostat set at 20 degrees F, the point at which it will auto-matically turn on.

Getting the Most Out of an Engine Make sure your thermostat works properly. A properly working thermostat saves energy. Most engines run most efficiently when water temperature is between 165 and 180 degrees F. Fuel consumption increases by approximately 25 percent when the engine is operating at 100 degrees F, instead of 180 degrees F. Check your owner’s manual for more information.

Source: Wyoming Energy Conservation Offi ce

Fuel Storage Safety Considerations

Label gasoline and diesel storage tanks to prevent mistakenly fi ll-ing a diesel tractor with gasoline which can ruin the diesel injection pump and nozzles.

Locate storage tanks at least 50 feet from any building, preferably downwind or downhill from the buildings.

Keep a dry chemical fi re extin-guisher handy in case of fi re.

Don’t smoke around fuel tanks.

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Source: Wyoming Energy Conservation Offi ce

Factors Reducing Fuel Effi ciency in a Diesel Tractor

Energy Saving Tips for Irrigators

Maintaining Irrigation Pumps, Motors, and Engines

Effi cient Agricultural Buildings: An Overview

Related ATTRA Publications

Page 3ATTRAwww.attra.ncat.org

Minimize idling, which can account for 15 to 20 percent of total fuel used. Letting an engine idle for 10 minutes during an average day, or 61 hours a year, will use about 31 gallons of fuel on a 75-horsepower diesel tractor.

Avoid quick starts—they waste fuel and are hard on equipment.

Perform maintenance. Keeping your farm vehicles and equipment in top operating condition will save fuel and money, help reduce repair costs, improve reliability, and minimize harmful exhaust emissions. Com-mon maintenance measures include get-ting regular tune-ups; replacing air, oil and fuel fi lters routinely; changing oil as recom-mended by manufacturers; and using the proper grade of oil. Refer to your owner’s manual for specifi c maintenance measures for your equipment.

Ensure that gas caps fi t properly. Caps that are damaged, loose, or missing altogether will cause fuel to vaporize.

Reduce excess weight on vehicles. Lighter loads consume less fuel than heavier ones.

Keep your tires properly infl ated. Having just one tire under-infl ated by six pounds per square inch (psi) can increase fuel con-sumption by three percent, not to mention reducing the tire’s life. Cold temperatures decrease the air pressure in tires, so check tire pressure regularly when tires are cold. Check your owner’s manual for information on correct infl ation pressure.

Have wheels aligned and balanced. Proper alignment and balance—like proper air pressure—help minimize resistance from your tires, which can reduce fuel economy.

Upgrade to more fuel-effi cient models. When it’s time to replace your equipment, com-pare fuel requirements of different makes and models. A higher purchase price can be partially offset by lower fuel costs. The Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory conducts performance tests of tractors, including fuel performance. Test reports for many tractor makes and modes are available online at http://tractortestlab.unl.edu.

Field PracticesDepending on how you manage your fi elds, you could signifi cantly reduce your fuel use by changing your fi eld practices.

Conservation or Reduced Tillage In conservation tillage, also known as mini-mum tillage or reduced tillage, crops are grown with minimum cultivation. Fuel sav-ings vary, but could be as much as $10 per acre compared to traditional tillage meth-ods. And, you can cut tractor use in half with no-till methods.

Estimating Diesel Fuel Use

By using a “consumption factor” developed by the University of Nebraska and plugging in your fi gures, you can estimate your annual tractor diesel use:

Annual Consumption = Hours Use × Rated Horsepower × Consumption Factor

Diesel consumption factor: 0.054 gal/hp hr

EXAMPLE: Approximate annual hours of use = 700

Tractor’s maximum rated horsepower = 66

Annual diesel consumption = 700 × 66 × .054 = 2,495 gallons

One fouled spark plug or one stuck valve lifter can increase fuel use by 10 to 15 percent.

Blocked air filters can increase fuel consumption by as much as 20 percent.

No-till planting. Source: USDA NRCS


The trade-off is a possible increase in the amount of chemical used for weed con-trol and fertilizer. In conventional tillage, the operator normally will plow, disk, and harrow before and after planting. Reduced tillage minimizes these opera-tions by either eliminating seedbed prep-aration or combining it with other fi eld operations like planting. For example, strip or zone tilling methods till only a small area where seed is planted. Ridge- and mulch-till methods require fewer trips across the fi eld. You can learn much more about reduced tillage options in ATTRA publications such as Conservation Tillage and Pursuing Conservation Tillage Systems for Organic Crop Production.

Some practices that will reduce tillage are:

Preparing the seedbed just ahead of planting to reduce the chances of rain between preparation and planting, and the possibility of hav-ing to reseed. Prepare a seedbed only in the row area, leaving the middle rough.

Combining operations. For exam-ple, you may be able to combine the fi nal seedbed preparation with planting, the fertilizer operation with a tillage operation, and so on.

Using herbicides that don’t require incorporation, in areas with mini-mal weed problems. You may also plant at optimum time to combat weeds by crop competition, reduc-ing the need for herbicides.

The USDA Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service has developed a useful tool called Energy Estimator: Tillage, which esti-mates diesel fuel use and costs in the pro-duction of key crops in your area and cal-culates potential energy savings available by changing from conventional tillage to alternative tillage systems. For more infor-mation, see the Energy Tools website at http://energytools.sc.egov.usda.gov.

Tractor Operation Use the correct size equipment for the job. Choose the smallest, l ightest tractor

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appropriate for the job to get the best fuel mileage. If you use equipment with too much or too little horsepower for the job, your fuel effi ciency will decline dramatically.

Avoid unnecessary driving. Technologies such as cell phones and radios can be used to solve problems from the fi eld, rather than driving. Combine errands into a single trip, if possible.

Operate at the recommended speed. Power requirements increase with increased speed, result ing in greater fuel use. Consult your owner’s manual for speed recommendations.

Use effective travel patterns. Lay out your fi elds to minimize turns and to keep the track on a level path (keeping erosion-con-trol practices in mind). Coordinate livestock grazing location with tractor fi eld work to minimize idling time when opening and closing gates. Installing cattle guards can eliminate stopping and idling time.

Tire SlippageTractor tire slippage should be from 10 to 15 percent. Insuffi cient ballast can create excessive tire slippage and increase fuel consumption, not to mention premature engine wear. Remove extra ballast for lighter loads. You’ll get better fuel econ-omy, reduce soil compaction, and your equipment will last longer.

Ballasting a tractor (adding weight to the rear for increased tract ion and/or to the front for stability and good

Source: NREL

If you use

equipment with

too much or too

little horsepower

for the job, your

fuel effi ciency will

decline dramatically.


steering) can correct slippage. The correct weight to match the job is important. Too much weight increases rolling resistance and strains the tires and drive train. Too little weight increases fuel consumption and tire wear.

Check advantages and disadvantages of single tires versus duals. In soft, loose soils, duals will increase the contact area between the tire and soil, which can be more effective for increasing drawbar power than adding ballast.

Checking Tractor Tire Slippage: Tread Marks

An approximate method for checking proper ballast is to observe the tire tread pattern produced when pulling under load, using the following guidelines:

Too little weight—the tread marks are wiped out entirely due to excessive slippage, which reduces forward progress.

Too much weight—the tire tracks will be sharp and distinct in the soil.

Proper weight—the soil between the cleats in the tire pattern is shifted, but the tread pattern is still visible

Checking Tractor Tire Slippage: Measuring

A more accurate way to determine slippage is to compare the number of rear wheel revolutions when the tractor is not under load with the number of revolutions under full load. When the tractor is under full load, the drive wheels should make about 10 revolutions compared with 8-1/2 when it’s not under full load to advance the same distance.

You can easily determine the percent of tire slippage by following these six steps. You’ll need another person to help, as well as paint, tape, or chalk; and two marker stakes.

1. With paint, tape, or chalk, make a reference mark on the sidewall of the rear tire.

2. While the tractor is performing a heavy draft operation at fi eld speed, place the fi rst stake to mark the spot where the tire meets the soil.

3. Walk beside the tractor counting ten revolutions of the wheel.

4. Use the second stake to mark the spot where the tire mark again meets the ground on the tenth revolution.

5. Take the implement out of the ground and again operate the tractor between the two stakes. Count the number of rear wheel revolutions for the tractor to cover the staked distance while pulling no load. Estimate the last wheel revo-lution as closely as possible.

6. Calculate the slip using this formula: % Slip = [(10 – the no-load revolutions) × 100] / 10 EXAMPLE: If 8.5 revolutions occurred for the staked distance with no load, the percent of slip would be: % Slip: [(10-8.5) × 100] /10 = 15% Use the following information as a guide for adding or removing ballast:% Slip Result0 to 5 Remove weight10 to 15 Proper weight20 or more Add weight

Source: Fuels for Agriculture, Wyoming Energy Conservation Offi ce.Remember that a towed implement requires more ballast than a mounted implement. The mounted implement provides weight transfer to the rear tires that acts as additional ballast, which helps to control slippage.

Source: Florida Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Florida Cooperative Extension Service.Too little Too much Proper weight


Drawbar Work Gear up and throttle down. Studies show that, on average, the drawbar load on a farm tractor is only 50 percent of its rated capacity. For partial drawbar loads, gear-ing up and throttling down to reduce engine speed (rpm) can reduce fuel consumption considerably. According to the Iowa State University Extension, fuel savings can range from 5 to 15 percent at 75 percent power, and 15 to 30 percent at 50 percent power.

Because of the drop-off in fuel effi ciency at higher loads, many diesel engines run more effi ciently at 50 percent load and a reduced engine speed than at 100 percent load and full engine speed. Therefore, a large die-sel tractor used for light drawbar loads can actually use less fuel if geared up and throt-tled back than a smaller tractor working at its full rated capacity.

For best fuel effi ciency, select the gear that provides the desired ground speed at the reduced engine rpm, without overloading. (Overloading is indicated by black smoke or sluggish response to acceleration. Check your owner’s manual for the “working rpm range” of your tractor.)

Hitching. Power and fuel are wasted if your tractor and implements “fi ght” each other as they move through the fi eld. Align soil-

engaging parts of tillage tools for minimum draft as illustrated below.

Matching Equipment to Task Ask yourself if certain practices are slowly siphoning your energy dollars. Take a look around and see where better planning or a small investment might save energy and money in the long run. For example:

Would a larger seed hopper decrease trips to refi ll planters?

Is your disk so small that it takes an extra pass between rows, or is it so excessively wide that it requires too much horsepower?

Are you using a full-sized vehicle for spraying, spreading, rock pick-ing, and other tasks, instead of a small, lightweight vehicle, such as an ATV?

The table on the next page shows average fuel requirements for some common farm-ing equipment.

As this publication illustrates, there are a lot of ways to reduce fuel consumption on your farm or ranch. Get started today on a fuel conservation plan and you could increase profi ts, prolong the life of your equipment, help protect the environment, and more.

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Implement Hitching and Levelness.

Reprinted from Conserva-tion, Storage & Handling of

Fuel for Farm Machinery, Cooperative Extension

Service, Purdue University.

For best fuel

effi ciency,

select the

gear that provides

the desired ground

speed at the reduced

engine rpm, without

overloading.


References Saving Energy on Montana Farms and Ranches, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Energy Division, January 1987.

Farm Production Expenditures: 2005 Summary, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, August 2006. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/FarmProdEx/FarmProdEx-08-03-2006.txt Nicolai, Dick, Liz Gorhma, and Donna Bittiker, Fuel Savings: Farm/Ranch Enterprise, South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service, Pub No. #ExEx14095, 2006. http://agbiopubs.sdstate.edu/pub_description.cfm?Item=ExEx14095Fuel savings pump bucks back into farmer’s pockets, Purdue University Agriculture Dept., February 7, 2006.

Rogers, Glen. Saving Fuel Expense with the Farm Tractor Combine, University of Vermont Extension, October 2005.

Downs, H.W. and R.W. Hansen. Estimating Farm Fuel Requirements, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Pub No. 5.006, June 2006.

Hanna, Mark. On-farm Energy Savings for Field Operations, Iowa State University. www.aceee.org/conf/af05/05aghannaIIb.pdf

Resources Agriculture and Rural Communities Are Resilient to High Energy Costs, USDA Economic Research Servicewww.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/April06/Features/Energy.htm Fuel Conservation Strategies for the Farm, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, August 2006. www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1303/ Fuel Effi ciency on the Farm, California Farm Bureau Federation. www.cfbf.com/issues/energy/fl ex.cfm Fuel Savings: Farm/Ranch Enterprise, South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service, http://agbiopubs.sdstate.edu/articles/ExEx14095.pdf Gear Up and Throttle Down—Saving Fuel, Virginia Cooperative Extension, www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/bse/442-450/442-450.htmlHow Do You Save Fuel Expense?, University of Illinois Extension, http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/macon/rr/i80_33.html Save Big on the Farm by Conserving Fuel, Washington State University, King County Extension, http://king.wsu.edu/foodandfarms/documents/FuelConservation.pdf

Average Fuel Requirements for Farming Tasks

OperationGallons Per Acre

Gasoline Diesel

Plow 8 inches deep 2.35 1.68

Heavy off set disk 1.33 0.95

Chisel plow 1.54 1.10

Tandem disk, stalks 0.63 0.45

Tandem disk, chiseled 0.77 0.55

Tandem disk, plowed 0.91 0.65

Field cultivate 0.84 0.60

Spring-tooth harrow 0.56 0.40

Spike-tooth harrow 0.42 0.30

Mulch treader 0.42 0.30

Rod weeder 0.42 0.30

Sweep plow 0.84 0.60

Cultivate row crops 0.63 0.45

Rolling cultivator 0.49 0.35

Anhydrous applicator 0.91 0.65

Planting row crops 0.70 0.50

No-till planter 0.49 0.35

Till plant (with sweep) 0.56 0.40

Grain drill 0.49 0.35

Combine, small grains 1.40 1.00

Combine, corn and grain sorghum

2.24 1.60

Mower (cutterbar) 0.49 0.35

Mower conditioner 0.84 0.60

Swather 0.77 0.55

Rake, single 0.35 0.25

Rake, tandem 0.21 0.15

Baler 0.63 0.45

Sprayer 0.14 0.10

Rotary mower 1.12 0.80

Haul small grains 0.84 0.60

Averages, based on values from agricultural engineers in several states.

Source: Estimating Farm Fuel Requirements, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension.

Page 8 ATTRA

Conserving Fuel on the Farm

By Cathy SvejkovskyNCAT Energy Specialist© 2007 NCAT

This publication is available on the Web at:www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/consfuelfarm.htmlor www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/consfuelfarm.pdf

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Conserving Fuel on the Farm